The National Audit Office (NAO) has cautioned that while farmers have become more positive about their experience with the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme, significant concerns remain about the effectiveness of such schemes in driving environmental improvements or delivering value for money.

The NAO’s ‘The Farming and Countryside Programme’ report highlights that while farmers’ ratings of their experience with the SFI have improved in recent years, such schemes from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have not been able to provide long-term certainty to farmers.

According to the report, in 2023, 48% of farmers rated their experience 8 out of 10 or better, a significant increase from 28% in 2022 and 15% during the SFI pilot phase. Additionally, 81% of farmers in 2023 rated their experience 6 out of 10 or better.